5 years on, SDH Chattergam building awaits completion

Chattergam: Despite passing of five years, the government has failed to complete the construction work on three-storey building for would-be Sub-District hospital (SDH) at Chattergam village of central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

People of the area have alleged that Chattergam’s Community Health Centre (CHC), which would be upgraded to SDH, is facing government neglect for no reasons.

“It has been almost five years now, the construction work of the hospital building is still incomplete and thousands of people who are dependent on this hospital become the worst sufferers,” Ajaz Ahmad, a patient said.

Talking to the INS Amira, another patient said, “Everything in this hospital operates from makeshift tin and plywood sheds. In this harsh winter we are forced to wait for our turn under the open sky.”

While questioning the inordinate delay in the constriction of building, she said that if 90 percent work of the structure is complete, why the authorities left it midway?

“It is not only patients who suffer due to the negligence of government [in the completion of construction], but hospital staff also suffers while serving patients in these makeshift sheds which sans adequate facilities,” a group of staff members told INS.

“These makeshift sheds have occupied the major portion of the hospital lawn which is compelling attendants of patients to park their vehicles on busy Srinagar-Pulwama main road creating the chaos among other commuters,” they added.

Further, hospital officials said that both patients and staff members would have a sigh of relief if the construction work is resumed which is at its final phase of completion.

Interestingly, the hospital is promoted to SDH but if the construction of building is not completed how is it possible to operate as SDH in the makeshift sheds, locals asked.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director Planning, Suhail Ahmad held the non availability of funds responsible for the hampering of construction work.
“We have recently taken up this issue with Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board [who are carrying the construction work of this hospital building] and by March this year building will be made functional,” he added.